If the writer had attended many meetings of the planning and zoning commission, he would quickly realize that there most assuredly is not a no-growth policy in this community.
As for the sign variance requested to place a McDonald's on North Maple, there was no evidence presented that such a sign could even be seen from any distance on either side of the Paris Road interchange.
One of the things that the Kentucky Department of Highways' signage program accomplishes is to advertise eating establishments on standardized signs at each interstate exit and this is a perfectly adequate means of advertising without permitting one applicant to flaunt our current and reasonable sign requirements. One such variance would undoubtedly lead to additional requests until the entire interchange would be nothing more that a forest of advertising.
There is nothing wrong with striving to be different from the thousands of other similar locations all along the nation's interstates, and to do so in a manner which draws visitors into a community for something other than a Big Mac, and new businesses are attracted to communities with good planning practices rather than by being allowed to put up 75 foot tall signs.
Charles L. Witt
Winchester
LET'S MAKE ROOM FOR EVERYBODY
To The Sun:
Amen! I don't know Donnie L. Riddell, but what he said about growth was right on.
I agree that it is ridiculous for Mount Sterling to have (for example) a Cracker Barrel and not Winchester. I thought Riddell's last statement in his letter to the editor was excellent. He said, "As long as the status quo is the only game in town, then the only game in town is no growth or little growth."
Let me remind you, if you don' t grow, you will eventually die. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually.
Officials of Winchester and Clark County who are responsible for making these decisions let me ask you these questions:
- Why is there not a McDonald's going up on the eastern by-pass?
- Are there plans for more businesses to go up there or not?
- Are you in favor of growth?
- Why are we losing jobs?
- Isn't part of our tax base the city payroll tax?
- If we lose large companies aren't we losing revenue?
- If you really don't want Winchester to grow, aren't you being selfish? I mean, shouldn't everyone who wants to live here have the opportunity to experience Winchester like we have? If so, we need to make room for them.
Michael S. Smith
Winchester
